Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-01

In the western Part of Southern Cali
fornia, frosts are rare and are confinei
to the river bottoms, and the higher
mountain attitudes. There are exten.
sive belts where they never occur.
Tropical fruits and exotic plants may
suffer from drouth, but not from cold.
1t is also worthy of remark that, al
though the summer days may be pleas.
antly warm, the nights are invariably
cool.
DISEASES.
Rheumatism is ported as frequent iu
but three localities, and those are noted
for their westerly exposure and damp
sea breezes. Santa Maria and Los An
geles are the only points where the
acute form is especially noted. DR.. K.
w. Hill, San Buenaventura, reports
rheumatism common, due to exposure,
vitality. The various reports presented
included a good many cases of the mus
oular variety or myalgia- The distine-
ton is that while acute rheumatizmis of
rare occurance, myalgia is to bs noted
at almost every point below the fog line
nearly every month in the year, but
more frequently during the rainy season.
Neuralgias of the head are less frequent
than myalgia, while sciatica is still less
frequent that the former.
The malarial affections, so essentially
depend upon local causes-intermitten {
and remittent fevers-are reported as
frequent in but single locality, the
mining town of Calico; while in the
.avsfxv Of kxr
ported they are entirely unknown, or
very rare.
In regard to typo-malarial fever. Some
deny its existance, while others of equal
experience from the same localities re-
port its presence, With the almost
total absence of strictly malarial fevers.
it seems hardly reasonable that malarial
complications should be found associated
with typhoid symptoms. And yet, the
personal observation Of the writer con-
firms the reports from several points, that
occasionally there is to be encountered
fever as distinctivsly typho malarial as
that seen in camp during the late war,
and 50 designated by Surgeon J. j.
Woodward, U. s. A.
A difference of opinion has been noted
as to the presence and prevalence of ty.
phoid fever, though the view is held that
the disease Is seldom or never seen in
this region. 1t is reported frequent in
but two localities, viz: Compton and
Calico; points remote from each other,
and of widely different climatic pecu-
liarities.
1t might be supposed that intestinal
affections would prevail throughout this
section by reason of the probable indis-
Greet use of fruit, but such Is not the
case. Diarrhoea is reported frequent at
San Pedro, probably among the sailors.
and at Calico, among the miners. Dysen-
terry is reported frequent at Calico,
doubtless because of iths iinsanitation
incident to mining communities The
only other part where it is reported fre-
quent is at Azusa, otherwise one of the
most healthfql sections of the State.
The great danger to health are open
bitches where decayed vegetation Is al
lowed to remain, and the water, though
sparkling and bright, becomes infected
and finds it way into cisterns.
The only deleterious effects resulting
from fruit are reported under the head
of infantile convulsions, though it is a
rare affection here, generally due to the
ingestion of unripe oranges.
Respiratory affections constitute the
most powerful incentive to immigration
to this section of the Pacific coast.
There has been misunderstanding as
to the differential diagnosis between in
fiuenza and catarrhal fever. BY the for
mer is meant Inflammation Of the upper
air passages, or commen cold in the
head; by the latter, superficial congestion
of the lower air passages, stopping short
of bronchitis, yet accompanied by cough.
sometimes by frothy mucus or slightly
muco-purulent expectoration, and some
elevation of temperature. Here, as
elsewhere, these disturbances may exist
separately or conjointly; and while oe-
curing most frequently during the rainy
season, they may prevail in slightly
epidemic form, apparently independent
OF the weather. The mildnsss of these
cases seldom demands medical treatment.
1t is noticeable that one or both Of these
affections constitute no inconsiderabls
part Of the progress of asclimatizaxion.
which nearly all newcomers must under
go. 1t Is also worthy Of remark thai